Well head equipment



Aug. 8, 1933. c. c. BROWN WELL HEAD EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 12, 1929gwue'nio'o 1 C. C. BROWN.

Patented Aug. 8, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL HEAD EQUIPMENTCicero C. Brown, Hebronvllle, Tex. Application December 12, 1929. SerialNo. 413,475 14 claim (01. 166-15) The invention relates to animprovement in well equipment adapted to be attached to the casing headin order to close the same and prevent escape of gas and/or oil.

In drilling and pumping wells the casing is employed to prevent cavingin and to serve as a supporting member for the various portions ofapparatus. At times it is desirable to completely close this casing toprevent the-escape of gas or oil and to prevent leaking during suchtimes as the. drilling or pumping operations are not being performed. Toaccomplish this closing it is usual to provide a gate valve. However,before this gate valve may be closed across the casing it is necessaryto remove the drill pipe or the string of tubing so that the gate of thevalve may move transversely across the casing. In devices heretoforeemployed it has been necessary to completely remove the drill stem ortubing before the gate valve could be closed, and in some instances,blowout preventers have been devised having a pair of co-operating ramswhich close about the drill stem or tubing. These devices, however, havecertain disadvantages which I contemplate overcoming with my improveddevice.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to devise a connectionfor the inner string of pipe or tubing so that it may be separated at apoint adjacent the gate valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism formanipulating the part of the pipe or tubing which is to be moved.

Still another object of the invention is to devise an improved hangerfor the tubing which is below the point of separation. v

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism forraising a portion of the pipe or tubing so that portions of the wellequipment which surmount my device will not have to be removed or theiroperation interfered with when the pipe or tubing is being manipulated.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a casing equipped with my improvement,certain parts of the view being shown in section for purposes ofillustration.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the arrangement of the tubing hanger;

The present application is the nature of an improvement over thestructure shown in my prior co-pending application Serial'No. 374,113,

filed June 27, 1929.

The general assembly of the device is best seen in Fig. 1. The wellcasing is indicated generally at 1 and comprises a section of pipe whichis placed in the well bore to support the earth formation and to serveas an anchor and support for certain portions of the well equipment.This casing 1 is threaded externally and has connected therewith a gatevalve 2. This gate valve is of usual construction and is ordinarilyemployed in well drilling equipment. 5

The gate valvecomprises the housing 3, the gate 4 and the hand wheel 5.As is usual in valves of this type rotation of the handle 5 causes thegate 4 to move horizontally so that the end 6 will pass into the recess'7. In this manner a complete cloclose of the passage 8 through thevalve is accomplished. In devices heretofore in use serious accidentsand enormous losseshave resulted from inability to quickly close thisgate valve. When excessive pressures in the earth formation areencountered this valve should be closed to prevent the escape of thepressure in the well. It is also desirable to close this valve whendrilling or pumping operations are not being carried on. It seemsobvious, however, that this valve could not be closed when pumpingoperations were in efiect due to the string of tubing. With the presentdevice, however, I have arranged the construction in such a manner thatthe tubing may be separated to permit the passage of the gate 6. Whenthe tubing is to be separated, however, it is necessary that the lowerportion 10 thereof be supported. In order to accomplish this I havedevised a tubing hanger indicated generally at 11.. This hanger is seenin plan view in Fig. 4 and in side elevation in Fig. 5. The upper end 12of the casing 1 is provided with an inwardly extending flange 13 whichis provided with a pair of opposite vertical slots 14. The tubing hanger11 comprises a circular member threaded internally at its lower end toreceive the string of tubing 10. This hanger has a set of outstandinglugs 15 adapted to pass into the slots 14.

In this manner it will be seen that the hanger when arranged properlymay slide downwardly through the flange 13 and by rotation the lugs 15will pass beneath the flange 13 so that thenhanger will be securelyanchored to the casing 1. The upper end of 'thehanger 11 is formed witha head 15' adapted to rest on top of the flange 13 and prevent downwardmovement of the hanger. With this construction the entire" weight of thetubing string 10 and the contents thereof will rest on top of thecasing 1. Any desired number 0 passages 17 may be formed through thehanger to provide for the escape of gas or any fluids under pressure inthe area between the tubing 10 and the casing 1.

The upper end of the hanger 11 is formed with a seat 18 which is hereshown as conical or tapered. The seat, however, may take any desiredform and is arranged to receive the lower end 20 of the upper section ofthe tubing 21. This tubing 21 is supported by a casing head 22 which isconnected at 23 with the upper end of the gate valve 2. This casing head22 may take any desired form but I here show it as arranged with anoutstanding flange 25 and a stuffing box 26. Surmounting the casing headis a frame work 26. As here illustrated it comprises a pair of legs 2'7,which are secured by means of bolts 28 to the casing head 25. At theupper end these legs are formed with a head 29 which carries a stufilngbox 30. Any desired type of well equipment may be mounted on top of thishead 29 and I have here illustrated a cross 31 of standard construction.This cross is shown as threaded into the head 29 where it may befastened in any desired manner. In the lower end of the upper branch 50of the cross is formed a seat 51, the walls of which converge upwardlyto receive the tapered upper end of the tubing section 21 as will belater noted.

It should be noted that the upper end of the tubing 21 is of suchdiameter that it passes smoothly through the stuffing box 30 and mayslide vertically within the lower arm of the cross 31.

With the construction just described it seems apparent that the uppersection 21 of .the tubing may be moved vertically so that the end 20will come into contact with the seat 18 or it may be moved upwardly toseparate these two parts and permit the gate 6 to pass transverselyacross the housing 3 to completely close the passage from the casing 1.Any desired means may be used to manipulate this upper section 21 of thetubing and I have here illustrated a work gear arrangement which isadapted to engage with the threads 40 on the tubing. This worm gearcomprises the gear 41, which is mounted upon a bushing 42, which is inturn carried by the cross member 43. This cross member is a part of thelegs 27. It should be noted that the bushing 42 is enlarged at its upperend so that any weight upon this bushing will be supported by the crossmember 43. This upper enlarged portion is provided with a plurality ofopenings 45 which are adapted to receive a jack bar so that the bushingmay berotated in this manner. However, it is intended that normally thebushing 42 will be rotated by means of the gear 41, which meshes with aworm 46. A shaft 47 is arranged transversely of the leg members and issupported in bearings 48. The worm 46 is rigidly mounted on this shaft47 so that rotation thereof will rotate the gear 41. The inside of thebushing 42is threaded to receive the threads 40 on the tubing. A lockingring 49 is shown as securing the gear 41 to the bushing 42. In thismanner it will be seen that a rotatable connection has been providedwhich will cause longitudinal movement either upwardly or downwardly ofthe tubing 21.

The particular advantage of -the structure herein illustrated is thatthe tubing 21 may telescope upwardly inside of the cross 31 so as toseparate the tubing and allow the closing of the gate 4 and also tobring the tapered upper end 52 of the tubing into the seat 51 of thecross. This closes the passage of gas or other fluid from the tubinginto the lateral branches of the cross and leaves but one outlet. Ifonly the lateral branches need repair or adjustment, it may not benecessary to close the master valve 4. The passage of fluid from thewell may be controlled without endangering the connections forming theoutlet from the well or wasting the production from the well. It will benoted that any equipment which surmounts my improved head or tubingseparator is not moved or disturbed in any manner by manipulation of mydevice. The stufling boxes 26 and 30 prevent the escape of any fluid andat the same time the tubing 21 is exposed so that it may be manipulatedto permit the operation of the gate valve.

I have disclosed herein an embodiment of my present improvements which Ibelieve to be entirely satisfactory and practical for the purpose inview. Nevertheless, it is to be understood that the several essentialparts of the improved embodiment may be constructed in various otheralternative forms and it is accordingly to be understood that in thefurther development of the device that I reserve the privilege ofresorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairlyembodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is: 1

1. In combination with a well head equipment embodying a separablestring of tubing, a tubing hanger including a slotted flange support, acollar on the tubing having flow passages therethrough, a set ofoutstanding lugs on said collar arranged to pass thru said slottedflange and be rotated to a position beneath said flange whereby upwardmovement of said hanger is prevented.

2. In combination with a well head equipment embodying a separablestring of tubing, a tubing hanger including a slotted flange support, acollar on the tubing having flow passages therethrough, a set ofoutstanding lugs on said collar arranged to pass thru said slottedflange and be rotated to a position beneath said flange whereby upwardmovement of said hanger is prevented. and a head on said hanger adaptedto abut said flange whereby the weight of the tubing string issupported.

3. The combination of a well casing, a well tubing therein projectingabove said casing, a flow line connected with said tubing at the upperend thereof, said tubing having a movable section slidable vertically insaid casing, and having a telescopic connection with said flow line,branches in said flow line, means in said flow line adapted to interfitwith the upper end of said section to seal off said section to one ofsaid branches, means to preserve a fluid seal between said section andsaid casing, and similar means to form a seal between said section andsaid flow line.

4. In a well head equipment, a casing, a tubing therein projecting abovesaid casing, a cross above said casing into which said tubing projects,a seat in said cross adapted to engage the upper end of said tubing whensaid tubing and cross are telescoped together and means to preserve afluid seal about said tubing.

5. In a device of the character described, a

casing, a gate valve thereon, a casing head above' said valve, a supporton said casing head. a branching flow line above said support, a frameon said support spacing said flow line from said casing head, aseparable string of tubing extending from said casing and fitting withinsaid flow line, means to seal said casing head about said iii) tubing,means to seal said flow line about said tubing, and means between saidsealing means engaging said tubing to move the same to separate saidtubing adjacent said valve.

6. In a device of the character described, a casing, a gate valvethereon, a casing head above said valve, a support on said casing head,a branching flow line above said support, a frame on said supportspacing said flow line from said casing head, a separable string oftubing extending from said casing and fitting within said flow line,means to seal said casing head about said tubing, means to seal saidflow line about said tubing, and means between said sealing meansengaging said tubing to move the same to separate said tubing adjacentsaid valve, said means to move including a bracket, and a gear and wormconnection carried by said bracket and engaging said tubing.

7. In a device of the character described, a casing, a gate valvethereon, a casing head above said valve, a support on said casing head,a branching flow line above said support, a frame on said supportspacing said fiow line from said casing head, a separable string oftubing extending from said casing and fitting within said flow line,means to seal said casing head about said tubing, means to seal saidflow line about said tubing, said tubing between said sealing meansbeing threaded, a nut on said threaded portion. means to preventvertical movement of said nut and means to rotate said nut.

8. In a device of the character described, a casing, a gate valvethereon, a casing head above said valve having outlets for fluid fromsaid casing, a support on said casing head, a branching flow line abovesaid support, a frame on said support spacing said fiow line from saidcasing head, a separable string of tubing extending from said casing andfitting within said flow line, means to seal said casing head about saidtubing, means to seal said flow line about said tubing, and meansbetween said sealing means engaging said tubing to move the same toseparate said tubing adjacent said valve.

9. A well head equipment including a casing, a gate valve thereon, acasing head above said valve, a flow line spaced above said casing head,a separable tubing extending from said casing and having a telescopicconnection with said flow line, means to support said tubing below saidvalve, a joint in said tubing adjacent said valve, and means betweensaid casing head and said flow line to part said tubing at said jointand move the upper portion thereof vertically.

10. A well head equipment including a casing, a gate valve thereon, acasing head above said valve, a flow line spaced above said casing head,a separable tubing extending from said casing and having a telescopicconnection with said flow line, means to support said tubing below saidvalve, a joint in said tubing adjacent said valve, means to seal saidcasing head about said tubing, lateral outlets in said casing head belowsaid seal, and means between said casing head and said flow line to partsaid tubing at said joint and move the upper portion thereof vertically.

11. A well head equipment including a casing, a valve thereon, a casinghead above said valve, a tubing in said casing supported below saidvalve, an upper separable section on said tubing, a fiow line connectedslidably with said upper section, means between said flow line and saidcasing head to move said upper section so that said valve can be closed,and means to seal about said tubing in said casing head and said flowline.

12. A well head equipment including a casing, a gate valve thereon, acasing head above said valve, a flow line spaced above said casing head,a separable tubing extending .from said casing and having a telescopicconnection with said flow line, means to support said tubing below saidvalve, a joint in said tubing adjacent said valve and means to part saidtubing at said joint and move the upper portion thereof vertically.

13. A well head equipment including a casing, a valve thereon, a casinghead above said valve, a, tubing in said casing supported below saidvalve, an upper separable section on said tubing, a flow line connectedslidably with said upper section, means below said fiow line to movesaid upper section so that said valve can be closed, 115 and means toseal about said tubing in said casing head and said fiow line.

14. The combination of a casing, a valve body connected to said casing,a valve in said body, a tubing in said casing and supported beneath 120the path of said valve, a first'pipe supported stationarily above thepath of said valve, and a second pipe connecting said tubing and saidfirst pipe, said second pipe being movable to permit closure of saidvalve. 5

CICERO C. BROWN.

